Does Tapering off Vicodin Work

[OlsenCNC]

Does tapering off Vicodin work? I've been taking Vicodin for years now and I've gone from; well I can't remember how many pills a day to maybe 2 vicodin a day now, at the most, but I'm having problems getting past that marker. It's mainly due to the anxiety and restless nights. It's 1:07 AM right now and the Xanex only let me sleep an hour tonight and I woke up with my skin crawling and axiety so bad that i am up while my wife is asleep, posting a message. I've gotten past the worst of the withdraws I think, which indludes a long list of nasty stuff i'm sure you all know that have been there, but the worst thing now is I just can't sleep. Today I got by with only taking 1/2 a Vicodin, and I felt fine all day. When it got close to bed time I felt the anxiety creeping in so I took a few Xanex. It took me about an hour to fall asleep but then I woke up and the anxiety drove me out of bed. Does anyone have any tips on getting through the night? And does tapering off a drug work. I kept consistant and have not taken more than 1 Vicodin at a time and no more than 2 a day for about 4 days now. I thought I was doing good because yesterday I only took 1 vicoden and at bed took a few Xanex and was able to sleep through the night. Thanks for reading.

[OlsenCNC]

Looking at these post make it sink in a little more. Damn, I really need to try harder. No dice still. It's been a long time! Don't remember life without Opiates. It's been so long it doesn't seem like a problem anymore. That is bad, I know.

[micheleTX]

Hello Olsen.  I found this site yesterday, the worst part for me is not being able to sleep either.  Always had a problem mentally if I can't sleep, even as a child.  I checked out the thomas method, and I tell you what!  That Hylands restless leg stuff did the trick for me last night.  I got it at walmart, it was only 4 bucks for 50, and my legs, actually no part of my body moved at all last night.  I woke up alot, but not from that.  Get u some of that, and melatonin is good too.  I took 4, maybe that was too many but it helped...

[micheleTX]

Can I throw my 2 cents in please?  I had quit the lorcet about a month and 1/2 ago, because my boyfriend and I were going to the drs, to get the pills, running out before we could get more and buying them from friends, etc. for 5 bucks a piece, got too expensive, so we got off them cold turkey then.  I had a horrible time, was taking about 8 a day, he was 12 or so a day.  I got online to find help for the crying, all the wd symptoms, unfortunately I didn't find this site then, but found a place where they said they would contact me on the phone for a consultation.

Well, long story short, a lady called me and their deal was to do brain surgery to take the wd's away instantly.  I told her how many I had been taking and she laughed and said that their thing was for serious addicts who were taking morphine and such and that I should be able to handle it with no problem.  OKAY.  She also told me that when you are taking opiates for pain relief that the reason why you start upping the amount (for actual pain and not just a high) your brain tells you that the pain is getting worse and worse and that you NEED more dope....that is the way the opiate works on your brain.  When I told her I was not in as much pain after about the 5th day off completely, she said that my brain was getting back to normal and that the opiate was not telling me any longer that I needed more dope.  It's weird.  That drug wants you to stay on it.  If that makes any sense, it's what it does to your dopamine in your brain.  Robs it blind, so you end up taking lots and lots more to get rid of horrible pain that you may NOT really have.  I know we all have pain, lots of people have really really bad pain that I cannot even begin to imagine.  My boyfriend has 2 MRI's that show his back is ripped and torn and herniated and such.  He lifted a welding machine in 1998 and his back is a wreck,  But this drug is making his pain worse,  I truly believe that.  

Anyway, just a story if yall want to read it.  I am on only day 2 now, not feeling so good, crying alot.  But lucky to be alive and having found this site finally.  God bless you all, and hang in there.  We can make it.!!

[changeforgood]

do it!!

[OlsenCNC]

Over a year later and the tapering worked for about a month. Now I've been back on the **** for a year straight again. *****! Now I'm ready to try and stop again.

[avisg]

i really do think if you can manage a taper it does really make withdrawl much more bearable when you stop.
avis

[OlsenCNC]

81 1/2 hours now. Does anyone know is muscle spasms in another part of your body are withdraws? My jaw muscle is spasming. Did I spell that right? It's happening like every 5 minutes or so. It's just so close to where the oral surgery was I hope it's just WD and not something else wrong from the infection. Thanks!

[natalile]

I don't no much about vic's we carn't get um in uk. But good luck nat. You've done really well to start with so you no you can do the rest. You might need some support after to stay clean. If thoses craving's kick in. take care & just keep posting people here are a great help

[OlsenCNC]

Thanks. I think I'm doing much better now. Still a little tuff to sleep but I have not taken in Vicodin in 77 Hours. I think the tapering made it much easier.

[Calzy]

You have had your share of health issues but thats what the pain meds are for if they are used for just the pain. If i have to go to the hospital with something broken or falling off, i'm not going to say i am addict, i will take the meds and before i leave the hospital i will have my safe guards in case i have to take them after the hospital and use OTC pain meds as soon as i can. If your down to 2 a day your w/d's could last a week give or take, of what you are already feeling at night now.  A doctor posted tonight that valium or Lorazepam can help ease the w/d's, also clonidine is used most offend for w/d's as well. If your mom is an RN she could get the doses they recommend for those meds and maybe find a dr that can help you. After the w/d's past you might find your pains may subside some and at least you should only feel the some pain where you know it's at and not all over your body like it is now for you. Having your own business can be a good thing to keep you busy all day to wear you out so you can sleep at night. Riding your bike 10 miles is great the way you are feeling, i couldn't drive 10 miles in my first week of w/d's.

[OlsenCNC]

How long did it take you to get past the withdraws once you stopped?

[OlsenCNC]

I'm trying to tough it out and not take it for pain anymore. I broke my calcaneus "heel" a few years ago. I was on crutches for 6 months. Afterwards, they discovered damage to both knees, but by the time the discovered this, I started my own business and I'm the only employee so I can't be off of my feet for the 6 months they estimate that recovery will take. I did okay for the 1st few years of only taking Vicodin when needed, which could be a couple days apart to maybe even a week apart. What happened was I had an oral infection about 5 weeks ago and the pain from that made the break in my calcaneus seem like a walk in the park. I was taking a lot of Vicodin to try and mask the pain from the time the infection started, to the time it took, which was 2 surgical procedure, 3 weeks later, to get by. Since I wasn't taking as much as I was prescribed by my regular Dr, I had a ton of Vicodin in the medicine. I was almost hospitalized from the infection it was so bad. Anyways, after dealing with that pain, I thought to myself,  I may be able to get by and tough it out as far as the knee pain goes. I have just been taking Tylenol for the my knee and it's been doing okay. It still hurts, but when I think of the pain I had in the bone in my mouth, I can do without it. The problem at night is not just that I can't sleep, I feel like my skin is crawling and I can't sit still. I have to get up and watch TV or get on the computer to keep my mind busy. I feel like I’m gonna go crazy. At first I didn't even know what was wrong. I had been taking Vicodin for so long and have gone days if not a week without taking it and I have never had this feeling before. I started looking up my symptoms and couldn't figure it out at first. I just thought I had the flu until my mom came by one day to see how I was feeling, she's an RN. I told her how I was feeling and she saw how much Vicodin I was taking when I was going through the **** with the oral surgery. She was around helping my take care of my son while I recuperated from the infection and surgery. She is the one that told me it was Vicodin withdraws. I almost wish she would not of said anything because 2 days had passed and I probably would have made it through the worst of it, but since she told me what it was, I knew that all I had to do to feel better was take Vicodin. So that continued for a while until I realized I needed to stop. I just didn't feel myself anymore. So I started the tapering phase and got it down to about 2 a day or less, at least that's what it's been for the past 5 days now. I'm feeling a little better tonight, but I haven't tried to go to sleep yet. I've only take one today and that was at around 1:00 AM this morning. I did go for a 10 mile bike ride this evening, which I really had to force myself to do, but I felt great afterwards, but the high from exercising is wearing off. Well, thanks for listening to me blab my Vicodin story.

[Calzy]

I agree with Jenny, your to a point that you can stop taking the pills and start your recovery. You said you can take just 2 a day, one early and one late but no mention of taking them for pain so it sounds like you are just using them to keep the w/d's away. Getting sleep is the $60,000 question after opiate use. It takes time and there are things you can do to rebuild the parts of the brain that are affected. Go to FLaddict and GaGuy names and click their profiles for good information on this and other ideas for recovery.

[jenny8575309]

the quicker you quit the quicker you can get past the withdrawls..

[OlsenCNC]

No, just the past 4 days of my tapering has been at my lowest doses. I've been tapering for longer. I felt I was almost there. I'll try the taking the bath and try more to relax. I do have  Xanex but I've actually only need it the last two nights. The whole time I've been tapering, I’ve just recently got the worst anxiety the past few nights. I think it's because I was trying to take my evening Vicodin away. Maybe I should take the evening one and not the noon pill. Thank you for your comments. I greatly appreciate it.

[voiceofreason]

Did I read that youve been takin Vics for years and only tapered 4 days?????????? If no sleep is the only thing going wrong with you YOU ARE LUCKY my friend. I tapered to one morning and one at night for weeks (3) and I still had many of the W/D symtoms mentioned here but they were a liitle easier to bare..............The bath thing worked for me (kinda) and thats about all I know. I also forced myself to walk the dog around the block before bedtime and I think that helped also.

[Yoda99]

Tapering does work if you have that kind of self-control.  I didn't; I had to go cold turkey.  Also I wanted to mention that sleep disturbance or lack of sleep is one of the withdrawal symptoms that takes the longest to get back to normal.  I'm almost 9 mos. clean from oxy, and I still don't sleep very much.  I think you are probably getting so anxious about the not sleeping, that it's making it worse.  Try to calm down, relax, hot bath and know that a lot of us here don't sleep well.  You can try over the counter products like Tylenol pm (which is just tylenol with benadryl in it).  If you don't want a tylenol product, just take benadryl.  There are other OTC sleep aids too.  Hang in there dear.  You won't die from lack of sleep.  I thought I would, but I'm still here.  lol
Good luck,
Yoda